Teff Harvest

You may recall from a couple of our posts that we decided it would be fun to (attempt to) grow some teff this summer. Our thinking was that it would be a tangible way to bring a bit of Ethiopia to our lives as we wait for our referral. Our hopes were that as the teff crop progressed, so would things in our wait for our daughter. The teff has reached the point now that it is ready to harvest. Reflecting on this has brought several things to mind, one of which is that we are anxious to receive our adoption referral and to see who it is that God chose to be our daughter. We have been waiting for 3 months and 2 weeks at this point. We were glad to see several families made it through court this week and we know that there are still several families that are in limbo as their cases did not make it through court. The courts are now closed for the rainy season and will not open until early October. Referrals will still be given out during this time and we are hopeful to get a referral in the coming weeks, knowing it is all in God's perfect timing.
The other thing that the teff harvest brings to mind is Luke 10:2 "And he said to them, ""The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into this harvest."" We have been blessed this year to have all four of the missionaries that our church supports home on furlough. It has been great to be able to spend time with them and hear how they are reaching people in the places that God has put them: England, Mexico City, Peru and Utah. We are thankful for their ministries and the faithfulness that they have shown in their ministries there. We don't have to be on a foreign mission field to be "laborers into this harvest" we can share the gospel wherever God places us. There is however a great need for believers to be willing to share the gospel abroad. Our adoption journey has broadened our view of our world and helped us to better realize this need more than ever. Pray that we will continue to be patient for God's will and his timing as we continue on this amazing journey that God has graciously put us on.